This invention relates to systems and methods for collecting, managing, manipulating, visualizing, and analyzing data from data generating sensors and other devices over a distributed network. Such sensors, for the sake of generality, may be referred to as output devices (or data output devices), and may be thought of as including not just sensors, but also detectors, measuring devices, readers, identifiers, collectors, and the like. Likewise, the information that a particular device reads, measures, detects, identifies, collects, etc., may be thought of more generally as an observation of the device. More specifically, it describes a system and method for managing, manipulating, and analyzing such data and devices over a distributed network, such as the Internet.
The Internet has changed the way individuals address health concerns and manage well-being. Estimates are that the Internet today offers tens of thousands different healthcare sites, underscoring the large and growing consumer demand for access to health-related information, services, and products.
However, online health information service providers are struggling to satisfy the demand for personalized health information. They are constantly looking for applications that will make their offerings more attractive to end users. One such application is the ability to provide users with the means of keeping a personal health history online, which gave birth to the personal health record industry. We are already seeing online health diary/personal medical record and diet/fitness calendar applications haphazardly integrated across various health-oriented web sites and the number and variety are growing.
As the competition in the online health information space intensifies, companies are continuing to look for additional services, which could be of value to existing members and a “magnet” for bringing in new ones. At the same time, medical device manufacturers are already facing high levels of competition a variety of chronic disorder or wellness management fields, such as blood pressure monitoring, diabetes monitoring, asthma monitoring, and others. They are looking for differentiating features and functionality, with would enable them to compete effectively, reach more users, and command higher prices for existing products without making costly changes.
While enabling access to patient data locked in inaccessible medical devices is vital in being able to uncover long-term health trends, it is also important to be able to receive data pertaining to status and functionality of the device itself. Device-generated data, extrapolated over a large number of devices and analyzed in the appropriate manner, can give an insight into the weaknesses or trends in performance of the entire line of devices. When this information is unavailable, the decisions about the health of a particular line of devices has to be made over and extended period of time, which incurs additional costs, lapses in performance, and dissatisfaction of the users. When such information is available, it encourages further innovation as well as better and more reliable products for the end users.